E.ON Next and EDF Energy are large energy suppliers that make up part of what used to be called the Big Six group of suppliers dominating the energy market in Great Britain.
German-owned E.ON Next supplies around 5.6 million British homes. EDF Energy, which is largely owned by the French government, began supplying British households in 2002 and supplies energy to over 3.7 million customers.
Both firms provide a broad range of energy tariffs, including those catering to electric vehicle users, and offer energy from carbon-neutral sources. We’ll look at that and explore how each supplier fares on customer satisfaction, the tariffs on offer and value for money.
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| Finder score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Manage account via app | ||
| Can offer Warm Home Discount | ||
| Percentage renewables (electricity) | 100% | 21% |
| Compare More Info | Compare |
Large legacy suppliers tend to charge more for energy than smaller “challenger” brands. They also tend to change their pricing in very similar ways to one another, so it’s definitely worth considering alternative options when comparing.
The best way to find out which is better value for you is to run an energy comparison, using a postcode checker like the one on Uswitch's comparison service.
Winner: It depends
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| Finder score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Manage online | ||
| Manage account via app | ||
| Manage account by telephone | ||
| Live chat support available | ||
| Email support available |
According to customer service data collected by the charity Citizens Advice, from October to December 2023, E.ON Next customers saw a smaller proportion (52.6 per 10,000) of their complaints needing to be escalated to a third party, including the Energy Ombudsman, compared to households supplied by EDF Energy (60.1 per 10,000).
On Truspilot, EDF Energy has 78,145 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars as of 9 April 2024. E.ON Next has 73,722 customer reviews and a 4.2-star rating as of 9 April 2024.
Winner: E.ON Next
While some people like their provider to offer a range of tariffs, there are good suppliers that offer one type of tariff really well, so it’s worth considering a range of providers.
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| Green tariffs | ||
| Fixed tariffs | ||
| Variable tariffs | ||
| Dual fuel deals |
Both of these suppliers offer a broad range of tariff types designed to cater for a range of circumstances. They also both offer time-of-use tariffs designed for electric vehicle owners who wish to charge their cars at home at night, when there is typically less pressure on the grid.
They both sell pre-payment tariffs, which can offer households better control over how much they spend on their energy usage. But it’s worth bearing in mind that pre-payment tariffs are typically a more expensive way to power your home when compared to energy supplied through a “standard” credit meter and paid for via direct debit.
Both suppliers may charge an early exit fee if you want to move to a different supplier. The fees vary depending on your tariff.
Winner: Tie
If you’re conscious of your carbon footprint, it’s worth investigating how forward-thinking a supplier is in regard to green energy.
For the year ending 31 March 2023, EDF Energy supplied 21% of its energy from renewable sources, below the UK average of 40.8%. For the same period, E.ON Next’s energy was 100% backed by renewable sources.
Winner: E.ON Next
Neither supplier is likely to be the cheapest in your area, but you’ll need to compare your options to decide what is best for you.
E.ON Next has marginally better customer reviews and 100% of its energy is backed by renewable sources, so it’s ahead in 2 of the 4 metrics we looked at in this comparison, with not much to separate the pair in the other 2 metrics.
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